External validation and update of the pediatric asthma risk score as a passive digital marker for childhood asthma using integrated electronic health records.

Background: In the search for practical prognostic decision support, numerous childhood asthma prediction tools (including a recent Pediatric Asthma Risk Score [PARS]) with modest prognostic accuracy have been developed, however, the prognostic utility of these tools using existing electronic health records (EHR) in clinical settings is unknown. To test the hypothesis that childhood asthma can be predicted using EHR, we sought to externally validate and update the PARS as a passive digital marker (PDM) for asthma risk.

Methods: Using a retrospective, population-based observational study design, children born between 2010 and 2017 who were consecutively enrolled at any of the pediatric healthcare institutions that contribute EHR data to the Indiana Network of Patient Care (INPC) databases were included in our analyses.

Promoting Healthy Adolescent Romantic Relationships: Results of a Multisite, Two-group Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To examine the impact of About Us, an innovative healthy relationships intervention that promotes positive adolescent romantic relationships and the use of effective contraceptives, on improving behavior, attitudes, and intentions related to sexual intercourse, relationship communication, and conflict resolution at 3- and 9-month follow-up, compared to services as usual.

Methods: This was a multi-site, two-group, parallel, randomized-controlled trial with an intervention/comparison allocation ratio of 3:2 conducted at seven high schools in California between February 2018 and May 2021.

Results: Overall, our study did not find statistically significant evidence of improved behavior, attitudes, and intentions related to sexual intercourse, relationship communication, and conflict resolution among participants (14-18 years old) randomized to the intervention group (n = 316) compared to services as usual (n = 217) during follow-up (group x time; p > .

Prevalence and predictors of female sexual dysfunction among sexually active women in the diabetes prevention program outcomes study.

Objective: To determine the burden and identify correlates of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among women with prediabetes (PreD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Outcomes Study (DPPOS).

Methods: The DPPOS visit included the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) to determine sexual function. Of 1464 participants, 1320 (90%) completed the (FSFI) and 426 were sexually active.

Correlates of early breastfeeding cessation and breastmilk expression in Uganda: a case-control study.

Objective: To identify the correlates of early breastfeeding (BF) cessation and breastmilk expression (BE) among mothers 12 months after childbirth.

Methods: We used a case-control study design to compare characteristics between mothers who stopped BF and expressed breastmilk 12 months after childbirth in Uganda. BF practices were determined in 12-month follow-up interviews using an adapted World Health Organization infant feeding questionnaire.

Race/ethnic differences in the association of anxiety, depression, and discrimination with subsequent nicotine and cannabis use among young adults: A prospective longitudinal study.

Introduction: The shifting patterns in nicotine and cannabis use among young adults is taking place at a time when there is also increased reports of psychosocial stressors such as anxiety, depression, and everyday discrimination. Although race/ethnicity has been found to moderate the impact of psychosocial stressors, there is limited research examining the association of anxiety, depression, and discrimination with patterns of nicotine and/or cannabis product use among diverse young adults.

Methods: Data were from a longitudinal study of 2478 US young adults surveyed between 2019 and 2021.

Prevalence and predictors of erectile dysfunction among men in the diabetes prevention program outcomes study.

Objective: To determine burden and identify correlates of erectile dysfunction (ED) among men with prediabetes (PreD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Outcomes Study (DPPOS).

Research Design And Methods: The 2017 DPPOS visit included administration of the International Index of Erectile Function. Of 648 male participants, 88 % (n = 568) completed the survey.

Body mass index trajectories and mortality risk in Japan using a population-based prospective cohort study: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study.

Background: Recent studies have found that long-term changes in weight during adulthood are associated with a high risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to characterize body mass index (BMI) trajectories during adulthood and to examine the association between BMI trajectories and risk of death in the Japanese population.

Methods: The data were extracted from Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study-a population-based prospective cohort study in Japan with participants aged 40-69 years followed over 20 years.

Asthma innovations from the first International Collaborative Asthma Network forum.

Background: Many patients have uncontrolled asthma despite available treatments. Most of the new asthma therapies have focused on type 2 (T2) inflammation, leaving an unmet need for innovative research into mechanisms of asthma beyond T2 and immunity. An international group of investigators developed the International Collaborative Asthma Network (ICAN) with the goal of sharing innovative research on disease mechanisms, developing new technologies and therapies, organising pilot studies and engaging early-stage career investigators from across the world.

Service Utilization among Persons Who Inject Drugs Attending a Syringe Exchange Program in New York State.

Background: Epidemiologic studies commonly recommend the integration of harm reduction programs with health and social services to improve the well-being of persons who inject drugs (PWIDs). This study identified service utilization clusters for PWIDs attending a syringe exchange program (SEP) in 2017 to better understand in-house service usage.

Methods: We applied Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components to classify 475 PWIDs into clusters using anonymized, SEP records data from New York.

Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Individuals with Excess Weight: Weight Trajectory Effects.

Purpose Of Review: Increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) among individuals with overweight or obesity is well-established; however, questions remain about the temporal dynamics of weight change (gain or loss) on the natural course of T2D in this at-risk population. Existing epidemiologic evidence is limited to studies that discretely sample and assess excess weight and T2D risk at different ages with limited follow-up, yet changes in weight may have time-varying and possibly non-linear effects on T2D risk. Predicting the impact of weight change on the risk of T2D is key to informing primary prevention.

Frequency and Correlates of Pediatric High-Flow Nasal Cannula Use for Bronchiolitis, Asthma, and Pneumonia.

Background: Heated humidified high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) is a respiratory support device historically used in pediatrics for infants with bronchiolitis. No large-scale analysis has determined the current frequency or demographic distribution of HFNC use in children. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and correlates of HFNC use in children presenting to the hospital for asthma, bronchiolitis, or pneumonia.

Maternal major depression disorder misclassification errors: Remedies for valid individual- and population-level inference.

Individual and population level inference about risk and burden of MDD, particularly maternal MDD, is often made using case-finding tools that are imperfect and prone to misclassification error (i.e. false positives and negatives).

Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences in Vulnerable Families: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial of SafeCare®.

Early adversity predicts increased risk for mental and physical health problems. As such, intervention efforts, such as home-based parenting programs, have been initiated with vulnerable families to reduce adversity exposure and promote child well-being. The present randomized clinical trial had a parallel design and 1:1 allocation ratio of SafeCare augmented for an urban high-risk population (SC+) compared to standard home-based mental health services (SAU) to examine risk and protective factors proximal to child maltreatment.

Evaluation of the type I error rate when using parametric bootstrap analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial with binary outcomes and a small number of clusters.

Background: Cluster randomized controlled trials (cRCTs) are increasingly used but must be analyzed carefully. We conducted a simulation study to evaluate the validity of a parametric bootstrap (PB) approach with respect to the empirical type I error rate for a cRCT with binary outcomes and a small number of clusters.

Methods: We simulated a case study with a binary (0/1) outcome, four clusters, and 100 subjects per cluster.

Decision tree-based rules outperform risk scores for childhood asthma prognosis.

Background: There are no widely accepted prognostic tools for childhood asthma; this is in part due to the multifactorial and time-dependent nature of mechanisms and risk factors that contribute to asthma development. Our study objective was to develop and evaluate the prognostic performance of conditional inference decision tree-based rules using the Pediatric Asthma Risk Score (PARS) predictors as an alternative to the existing logistic regression-based risk score for childhood asthma prediction at 7 years in a high-risk population.

Methods: The Canadian Asthma Primary Prevention Study data were used to develop, compare, and contrast the prognostic performance (area under the curve [AUC], sensitivity, and specificity) of conditional inference tree-based decision rules to the pediatric asthma risk score for the prediction of childhood asthma at 7 years.

Correlates of disparities in syringe return ratios: A cross-sectional study of a syringe services program in New York.

Background: Predictors of syringe exchange behavior are critical to informing secondary prevention measures needed to attenuate risk of blood-borne infections among persons who inject drugs (PWID).

Methods: Participants included PWIDs who attended a syringe services program in New York from 2015 to 2017 (n = 1777). We analyzed the syringe return ratio (receipts/returns) with two distinct but related methodological strategies-threshold logistic regression and quantile regression-to identify correlates of disparities in syringe return ratios.

Childhood wheeze trajectory-specific risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is growing interest in the use of latent trajectory methodology to identify wheeze patterns in heterogeneous populations of children. This study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed childhood wheeze trajectory studies to identify childhood wheeze trajectory group-specific risk factors among children from birth through to adolescence.

Methods: We included studies that used latent trajectory methodology to identify wheeze trajectories and associated risk factors.